Deadly Insect Allergies Are on the Rise, But Immunotherapy Shots Can Help﻿

Email addresses will not be shared with 3rd parties. See privacy policy

Thank you.

Your message has been sent.

OK

We're sorry, an error occurred.We are unable to collect your feedback at this time. However, your feedback is important to us. Please try again later.

Close

Venom immunotherapy shots save lives better than an emergency EpiPen.

Don't like bees? You have reason to be afraid, especially this time
of year. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
(ACAAI) says insect sting allergies are increasing, affecting five
percent of the population.

Every year, as many as 50 people die from
insect stings, according to Dr. David Golden, whose report on insect
stings appeared Thursday in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Half of fatal reactions happen to people who've never been stung before.

Ray Shaw, former president of Dow Jones & Company and president of The Wall Street Journal, died in July 2009 at age 75 after being stung by a wasp. He previously had no known allergy to bee stings.

Golden, chair of the ACAAI's Hypersensitivity Committee, said these deaths can often be prevented if the person is treated with venom immunotherapy, or VIT.

VIT to the Rescue

In fact, venom immunotherapy can protect people from insect stings for many years, even if their reactions tend to be less severe.

Golden
said that while these low-dose shots do not always cure insect
allergies, they can almost always prevent severe reactions, and they
usually provide long-lasting immunity, even after the treatments stop.

Although
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved venom immunotherapy in
1979, it is not widely used by doctors or hospitals, Golden told
Healthline. “It's so frustrating for us.”

He stressed that people who have been told they may have dangerous reactions to stings should see an allergist and get tested. Most insurance plans pay for VIT, although there may be a higher deductible or co-pay, Golden said.

More Than Just an Epi-Pen

Many
people who suffer bee sting reactions end up in the emergency room,
where they are treated with a shot of epinephrine, also known as
adrenaline, and given an EpiPen containing more epinephrine to carry
with them in case they get stung again.

That's
what happened to LeAnn Carr of Rock Island, Ill., who suffered a bee
sting more than 10 years ago. At first, the sting didn't bother her
much, but over the course of an hour she felt a tingling sensation
travel up from her leg, where the sting occurred, to her throat. She
became worried and tried to relax in the bathtub, where she passed out.

Her husband later found her and called for help. Paramedics
revived her and she was taken to the hospital, but she was never told
about venom immunotherapy, and still carries an EpiPen at all times.

Golden
said Carr's story is typical. Dr. David Graft, an adjunct professor of
medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis,
agreed. “Most
of the patients I see for insect sting allergy also have not heard of
allergy shots for venoms, so we need to do a better job of educating the
public, too,” he told Healthline.

Fire
ants stung Tracey Boeye of Atlanta on three occasions during the 1990s.
Each time, she ended up in the emergency room where she received
epinephrine shots. The last time, however, her throat began to swell
shut and she believes she could have died. So, she went to an allergist
and received the prophylactic shots for several years. She has not had
an incident since.

She
recalled the horror of being stung the second time, before the advent
of cell phones, knowing she needed help while on the road. “I started popping Benadryl and was literally driving 90 mph down I-55 hoping to get pulled over. No luck.”

Protect Yourself from Deadly Stings

The ACAAI offers these tips for avoiding stings from late-summer insects:

Cover up with pants and long-sleeved shirts when gardening or working outdoors.